Malicious Intent
by GB Freak1
Summary: Gus and Shawn help a young mother and her sons hide from their nasty father.  When Dad comes looking for his family, will everyone come out alive?
1. Chapter 1

Malicious Intent

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 1: An Uninvited Guest

Henry parked his pick-up truck in the driveway. He turned to glance at the strange car parked in front of his house and just shook his head. "Neighbors must have company," he thought. He grabbed the two grocery bags next to him and headed to the front door. He unlocked it and headed inside. He put the groceries on the table and turned to put his keys in their usual spot. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "Shawn?" he said when he saw his son sitting on the floor of the kitchen, back against the cabinets. It looked like his hands were pinned behind him. Shawn's eyes were closed and his head was leaning against the cabinet. Henry knelt next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He felt the muscle twitch under his hand. "Shawn, open your eyes," he commanded. It was then he noticed the duct tape binding his son's wrists together. "What the hell?" he thought. The hazel eyes opened and focused on him. Henry saw relief and then fear in his son's eyes.

"Dad, no. No, no. You have to go. Get out of here. Now. Go," Shawn rambled, eyes wildly searching the room.

"Shawn, what are you talking about? Why do I want to leave my own house? Why are you…," Henry stopped talking when he heard footsteps coming from the bathroom. Henry stood up to see who this intruder was.

"You know Shawnie boy, your Dad has a nice place," the stranger said as he was walking toward the kitchen. Henry hid with his back flush against the cabinets, hoping to jump the guy as he passed on his way back into the kitchen. He froze when he felt the muzzle of a pistol next to his ear.

"You must be Dad? Just walk over there and have a seat, Mr. Spencer," the man said. Henry glanced over at his son as he walked toward the chair. Shawn watched his father intently. His features carefully schooled not to show the emotions that Henry was sure were lurking beneath the surface. Henry sat and glared at the man holding the gun.

"What's this all about? Who are you?" Henry angrily asked.

"Shawn, you want to fill your pop in, or should I?" The stranger went over to Shawn and reached down pulling him up quickly by the arm. Henry heard a pained gasp come from his son. The stubborn, angry expression on Shawn's face was one Henry saw much too often, but was directed at this person.

"Tell him yourself, Parker," Shawn growled. Parker pulled Shawn around the table and suddenly pushed him to the open floor harshly. Shawn fell to his knees and then the intruder shoved his back making him fall forward. With no way of stopping himself, Shawn's head bounced off the linoleum loudly. He blinked rapidly and a grunt of pain escaped his lips. Parker knelt down, putting one knee in the small of Shawn's back. He grabbed a bunch of Shawn's hair, roughly pulling up his head. Henry was furious and rose to his feet, but stopped when the gun was pointed at him.

"Mr. Spencer, your son is having some issues with his attitude today. Just sit down and we'll get right back to you," Parker said menacingly. When Henry didn't move, Parker dug his knee into Shawn's back and a muffled moan was heard. Henry sat down, but continued glaring at his captor. Returning his attention to Shawn, he pulled the hair harder. He heard the hiss of pain that Shawn couldn't stop. "If you want to see your father come out of this alive, Shawn, you need to start cooperating with me. Now I'll tell him what is going on and you think about if you are going to tell me what I want to know." He banged Shawn's head hard against the floor, knocking the young man out. Henry stood up again, filled with rage. Parker straightened up and kicked Shawn hard in the side, when he got no response he nodded. He walked back over to the table.

"Henry, sit. I'm not asking again. I have no problems putting bullet holes in your son, especially with all the trouble he's causing me," Parker said pointing the gun at the chair. Henry sat, glancing down at Shawn. Parker sat at the chair across from him. "Don't worry. He's just taking a little nap." Henry's angry glare was quickly directed at him again.

"Let me just explain what's happening here. Shawn and his sidekick are helping my soon to be ex-wife hide my sons from me. The little bitch seems to think she can leave me and take my boys with her. She has a restraining order against me and hired them to help her hide until all the proceedings start."

"From what I'm seeing, she might have a pretty good reason for wanting to get away from you," Henry said. His cold stare returned by a chillingly colder one.

Parker smiled, "That very well may be, but your boy knows where she is and threatening his wellbeing doesn't seem to affect him at all. We're going to try a different tactic. If he doesn't tell me, I'm going to shoot you."

A cold chill ran down Henry's spine, but he kept his mask firmly in place. "Hate to break it to you, but you have seriously misunderstood how that kid feels about me. He would probably applaud you if did it."

Parker grinned, "Really, is that why when I suggested it he lost all the color in his face and told me to leave you out of it." Parker walked over to Shawn and kicked him again. Not getting a response, he rolled him over and slapped his face. "Time to wake up, pretty boy." Shawn slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh rats, you're still here," Shawn said and smirked. He was pulled to his feet and pushed into the chair across from his dad. He blinked numerous times to clear his fuzzy brain. He looked up to make eye contact with his dad. "You okay, Dad?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Henry said coldly. Shawn looked confused, not really picking up on the game his dad was playing.

Parker moved to the side of Shawn and said, "Your dad seems to think that you'd be pretty happy if I put a bullet in his head." Shawn's confusion grew. Henry's one eyebrow rose slightly and suddenly Shawn got it.

"Well, old grumpy pants over there is generally a pain in my ass," Shawn said sarcastically. Henry frowned at him.

"Listen psychic boy, tell me where they are. I'll kill your father whether you like him or not. I'm not sure I care at this point."

"For the last time, numb nuts, I'm not telling a wife beating, child molesting piece of scum like you where they are," Shawn snarled at Parker.

"I'd have to agree with the kid there. You don't seem like the model dad," Henry said smiling.

"Now I know where you get your attitude from Spencer. Well, this is fun and all, but I'm not playing games anymore," Parker said. He pointed the gun at Henry and fired.

All Shawn could do was scream, "DAD!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 2: Meet the Parkers

Gus paced around the hotel room suite. Shawn was late, three hours late. Not that it was unusual, but when he left, Shawn all but demanded that Gus call him if he was gone longer than a half an hour. It was just a precaution, but Shawn wanted to be sure each knew where the other was, just in case. After the first call went unanswered, Gus probably had called him about thirty-four times. He was really starting to worry. Helen came into the suite's main room. "He still hasn't answered?" she asked him.

"No, Mrs. Parker. He hasn't. He was just going to run by the office."

"You said he was flighty sometimes."

"Not this time. He knows what's at stake here. He really likes your boys." Gus smiled at the memory of Shawn running around the office with Helen's two boys, Jordan and Wyatt. Jordan was seven and Wyatt was four. They really bonded with Shawn immediately. It was definitely during the Spongebob debate where Gus complained about how the show was just not believable. Really, wouldn't the Krabby Patties be soggy underwater? And how the heck could they have a campfire under water for the Campfire Song? Gus argued that no one could top the old Looney Tunes, like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Jordan, being quite sharp for his age, commented "like those old Looney Tune cartoons were much better." "That Elmer Fudd guy shot Daffy Duck's face off at least ten times in that one cartoon and the duck never missed a beat." Shawn fell off his chair laughing at the clearly presented comeback. Gus had been out talked by a seven year old. Shawn, of course, sided with the kids, saying that at least Spongebob wasn't a cross dresser that went around kissing men and besides the yellow dude lived in a pineapple. Gus knew he lost the fight and relented, but he still thought Spongebob was an idiot. Shawn stuck his tongue out at Gus, and Jordan and Wyatt followed suit. Then the three "kids" ran around the office singing, "Oohhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

Two days before their meeting with the Parkers, Juliet had come to Shawn and Gus asking for a huge favor. Helen Parker and her two sons were victims of domestic violence. Mrs. Parker had been granted a restraining order, but Juliet did not hold out much hope for Mr. Parker to comply. Helen planned to move to her parents' home in New Mexico. Unfortunately, her husband's lawyer had asked the judge for an order where Helen could not move out of state with the boys until final custody was determined. The court date was three weeks away. Helen had come to the station begging for protection, but there wasn't much the police could do unless the restraining order was broken. Juliet felt so bad for the single mother; she asked Shawn and Gus for their help. The Psych detectives readily agreed.

Shawn decided on a hotel not too far away from their office. They would rent a suite under Juliet's name for the three weeks before the court date. Juliet was able to convince her fellow officers to take a turn watching out for the family in their free time. Some of officers even donated toys for the young boys to play with, since they had abandoned everything they owned to leave their abusive father.

Earlier that afternoon when Shawn admitted he had forgotten to mail some bills for the office, Gus complained non-stop. Shawn told him that he would run to the office and mail the bills, and even pick up dinner on the way back. After waiting for his return, Gus finally ordered room service for the famished youngsters and their mom. Three hours and no Shawn. Gus was freaking out. There was a knock on the door. Gus checked the peephole and let Buzz McNabb in. "I need make a quick phone call. I'll be back in a minute," he told the off-duty officer.

"No problem, Gus," Buzz said and turned to the boys, "Hey guys, I brought Play-Doh!" The young boys cheered as they joined Buzz at the table. Gus slipped outside the room and dialed Juliet's number as he walked to the lobby.

"Juliet O'Hara," was the pleasant answer that greeted him.

"Juliet, its Gus. We have a problem."

The scared tone in Gus' voice frightened her. "What's wrong, Gus?"

"Shawn should have been back hours ago and he isn't answering his cell. I think something happened to him. Can you check the office for me?"

"Sure, Lassiter and I will check it out. I'll call you when I get there. You know he might have stopped by his dad's."

"Maybe, I'll try calling there. But I still think he would have called me." Gus explained.

"Okay, I'll call you with an update," she said hanging up the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 3: Extreme Times

The cabinet door behind and to the left of Henry's head splintered into a thousand pieces as the bullet entered it. The older man ducked to avoid being struck by the flying wood. "I just refinished those!" He shouted at the man who held the smoking gun.

Shawn dropped his head on the table in relief. He needed to figure a way out of this and fast. He raised his head and saw his father and Parker staring at him. "That doesn't look like cheering to me, Dad," Parker sneered. "So, I think we've established that I'm serious and that you don't want me to kill your father. What's it gonna be, Shawn?"

Shawn closed his eyes. He was running out of time. He opened them and said, "So my choices are to tell you, at which point you kill me and my father, or not to tell you, and you kill me and my father? I don't know, Parker. I like choice B. Just because of the added benefit of pissing you off." The smirk was back in full force, which pissed Parker off and Shawn knew it.

Parker looked at Henry, "You mean to tell me that you put up with this every day and you didn't want to beat him."

"Yeah, well, some of us have self control," Henry fired back.

"Ooo, snap," Shawn said. "Besides, even if I told you where they were, you wouldn't be able to get in. Most of the people helping us are Santa Barbara Police Officers and know what you look like."

"I'll use you as a hostage," Parker said to Shawn.

"And then what? Where are you going to take the kids? Every cop in the western US will be looking for you once the Amber alert goes out," Henry said smiling.

Parker was reaching his breaking point. He stood for a minute thinking. After a minute, he said "Okay, new plan. You're going to call them and bring them here."

"Fat chance," Shawn said.

"Not you, moron. You," Parker said pointing to Henry and placing Shawn's cell phone in front of him.

"What?" Henry asked.

Shawn laughed and said again, "Fat chance."

"How about a little motivation," Parker said with a smile. BANG! The gun went off.

Shawn fell backwards in the chair and then slumped to the floor.

Carlton Lassiter was not happy. That was probably the most polite way it could be said. His partner insisted that they go to the Psych Office to be sure that Shawn Spencer was okay. Spencer was late to meet Gus. Wasn't he the poster boy for irresponsibility? When did that change? Why were they all getting worked up over nothing? Shawn was probably in a bar with some random girl he met at the post office. When Carlton suggested this to O'Hara however, he received an angry glare from her. She explained that Shawn was taking this case very seriously. Carlton thought it best not to not to continue the argument.

The car pulled up to the Psych office. Shawn's motorcycle sat outside of it. "Well, Spencer's bike is here," Lassiter said.

"The post office is in walking distance. He probably was on foot. Let's go in and look around," she told him. Lassiter found the door to the office unlocked and opened it.

"Does he usually leave the office door unlocked?" Carlton asked.

"I don't think so. They're pretty possessive about the Foosball table," she told him and walked in. He shook his head.

She scanned the room. No large evidence of a scuffle or anything really out of the ordinary, until she saw the refrigerator and the counter. She walked over. "This isn't right."

"What? All I see is an open refrigerator and a plastic container of sliced pineapple sitting out," her partner said.

"Exactly, there is no way that Shawn left pineapple sitting out like this. Also, the refrigerator door is open, he'd never do that."

"Oh right, because Spencer is so responsible," Carlton said annoyed.

"Carlton, Shawn would not let good pineapple go to waste. Let's go talk to Gus," she said and walked out the door.

"Why does she know that?" he asked out loud to no one.

Juliet popped her head back in the door, "And be sure to lock up." She was gone again.

"Why me?" he said and followed her, being sure to lock the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 4: Call for Extreme Measures

Juliet and Carlton entered the Santa Barbara Beachside Hotel and headed for the Parkers room. They approached the door and knocked. "Who's there?" a voice behind the door said. "Gus, its Juliet." The door opened a crack. Gus peered through the crack and then opened it all the way.

"Did you find him? Where is he?" Gus asked, blocking the room.

"Guster, let us in," Lassiter said.

"Oh, sure. Sorry," Gus apologized and moved to allow the two officers in.

"He's not there. His motorcycle was there. The door was unlocked and he left pineapple out on the counter," Juliet told him.

"Oh no," Gus said, "We need to call over at Henry's. Maybe he called.."

Juliet cut him off, "I left a message. There was no answer." Gus sighed.

"O'Hara, let's go check Parker's place and see if he's there and then we'll stop by Henry's. Guster, call us if Spencer comes back."

"Okay," Gus said.

"We'll find him, Gus," Juliet said reassuringly.

Shawn fell backwards in the chair and then dropped to the floor, bullet entering his shoulder.

"SHAWN!" Henry yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Call them now or watch him bleed to death on your floor," Parker said, gun trained on Henry.

Henry heard Shawn groaning. "Shawn," Henry called to his son.

"Dad. Hurts," Shawn whispered. Henry didn't hear him.

They all jumped when Henry's kitchen phone rang.

"Don't answer that," Parker growled when Henry started to move toward the phone.

Parker stalked over to Shawn, "Move a muscle and I'll shoot him again, Henry." Parker then proceeded to step directly onto Shawn's injured shoulder.

Shawn screamed in agony, "Aaaaaa, stop."

"All right, all right, I'm not moving," Henry said desperately. "Just stop." Parker moved his foot and Shawn slumped in relief.

The answering machine picked up, they all listened intently, "Mr. Spencer, this is Detective Juliet O'Hara from SBPD."

"No, don't," Shawn whispering, praying Juliet would stop talking.

"We're looking for Shawn and wondering if you've seen him. Can you give Gus a call at the Beachside and let him know either way? Thanks." The machine hung up.

Parker smiled, "The Beachside. Thank you Detective O'Hara. I suppose you want to come over and see him."

Henry quickly walked around the table. He moved the chair out of the way and kneeled next to Shawn. He sat his injured son up, and Shawn's head lolled to the side. He pulled back Shawn's t-shirt to view the wound. Shawn started to flinch away. "No, don't touch," he moaned, "hurts."

"I know. I need to see it," Henry said, his voice cracking slightly. The wound was bleeding and the bullet had not exited the shoulder. Shawn's rested his head against Henry's shoulder. The angry father looked up at Parker. "You need to get this tape off his hands. I need to lay him down flat. He's not a threat to you anymore."

Parker reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife. He opened it. "Don't try anything," he told Henry.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Henry said sarcastically. Parker glared at the other man's attitude and then cut through the tape. He laid Shawn down. Shawn's eyes were closed again. He put his hand on Shawn's cheek, "Come on, bud. Open your eyes and look at me."

"I'm sorry…my fault. Stupid," Shawn mumbled, but his eyes remained closed. Henry sighed and stood up. He started walking toward the closet.

"Where the hell are you going?" Parker growled.

Henry whirled to face him. "I need to get some towels to stop the bleeding and a blanket to cover him with. Going into shock could kill him."

"No, I need you to bandage him up," Parker said.

"What? Are you insane?" Henry fired back at the man.

"He and I have a date at the Beachside. Where's your first aid kit?"

"In the bathroom, under the sink. Even if I patch him up, he's going to have trouble standing."

"If he wants you to live, he'll figure something out. Let's go get that kit, Dad." Henry went into his bathroom and retrieved the kit and some towels. Parker followed and the two made it quickly back to Shawn.

"Dad? Dad," Shawn said softly. Henry looked down to see his son with his eyes open. He was shivering slightly.

"Yeah, Shawn. How you feeling?" Henry said as he kneeled next to him.

"It feels like my shoulder's on fire." He shivered again and squeezed his eyes closed in pain.

"Yeah, it probably does." Henry put a towel under Shawn's head. He carefully ripped Shawn's t-shirt and placed a towel there and pressed down.

"Owww. Stop, Dad," Shawn moaned in pain.

"Hey, I know. It hurts, but I need to stop the bleeding," Henry calmly told him. Parker walked to the front door, looking out through the small glass window.

Shawn continued to squirm under Henry's hands.

"Please, just stop," Shawn said.

"Think we can hurry this along a little bit," Parker said impatiently.

"If you don't want him bleeding to death on his way over there, you're going to have to wait a minute," Henry snapped.

"Don't piss him off, Dad. That's how I got myself in trouble. My big mouth," Shawn said. Henry smiled at Shawn.

"It's kind of a theme for you," he said.

"Yeah, now's a good time to joke around, when I'm bleeding on your kitchen floor and a madman is holding us at gunpoint," Shawn said.

"You pick now to be serious," Henry said. Shawn grimaced in pain and looked over at Parker. Parker had gone back to staring out the window.

"What are we going to do?" Shawn whispered.

"I don't know. Let's get you bandaged up," Henry said. In his head, Henry was thinking of possible ways to get them out of this situation. He just couldn't seem to focus, probably something to do with his son being shot. He grabbed some gauze and tape and wrapped up Shawn's wound as best he could. "Here take some painkillers," he told his son.

"No," Shawn croaked out, "Need a clear head."

Parker approached again. "Looks like we're ready to move. Here, put this on him." Parker threw one of Henry's jackets at him. Henry put Shawn's injured arm through and then the other one. "Good. Now stand up, Dad."

Shawn's stomach flipped. "Wait, what are you going to do?" he asked nervously.

"Dad's coming with us, Shawn, except he'll be riding in my trunk. I need a little insurance that you're not going to try anything," Parker said with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 5: Still Haven't Found What They're Looking For

Notes: Thanks to my friend Josu for the exicting ending scene to this chapter. This chapter would have died from boredom if not for her help. Thanks to Raych for her as always betaing and super support. And thanks to Jenn1984 for her cool idea of locking Henry in a trunk. She was a big help with getting me thinking about the end plot. Ahhhh, can you feel the angst!

The car pulled up to the residence of Ian Parker. Carlton stopped the car in front of the large house. "What does the man do for a living?" Carlton asked his partner.

"You mean besides torment women and children," she said sarcastically. At his frown, she said, "Sorry, he's reportedly in real estate. Flips houses, but uses a lot of shoddy supplies and cheap labor. I just know that he is behind Shawn's disappearance."

"I hope you're right about this and Spencer just didn't go to Mexico for the day."

"Carlton, trust me. Something's wrong," she said. He looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes.

"Okay, good enough. Let's see if Mr. Parker is at home." They both exited the car and walked up to the front door. Carlton rang the door bell. The pair waited and the door opened. A young woman in her early twenties answered. She was tall and rail thin, but curvy in all the right places. Her long brown hair was tied up in a pony tail and her dark eyes looked over the two detectives. Carlton flashed his badge to her.

"Hello, I'm Detective Carlton Lassiter and this is my partner Detective Juliet O'Hara. We'd like to speak with Ian Parker."

"He's not here," she said and started to close the door. Carlton put his hand out to block it from closing.

"Miss?" Juliet asked.

"I'm not sure I want to tell you my name," the woman said. At Lassiter's glare, she said, "Rita Franco, my stage name's Layla. I work at the Simply Seductive Club in Oxnard." She batted her eyelashes at the detective and he looked slightly shocked. Juliet rolled her eyes.

"Miss Franco, where is Ian Parker?" Juliet asked sternly.

"Hey, if you lose your little friend, we could have some fun," Rita whispered to Carlton.

"Answer the question," Lassiter said, ignoring the comment.

"You seem like loads of fun," was the sarcastic comment from the woman. "Ian left this morning. A buddy of his told him that some psychic detective weasel was helping his ex-wife hide from him. He flipped out and took off."

"I knew it," Juliet said angrily, "And he's not a weasel." Juliet pointed her finger at the woman. Carlton frowned and looked over at the concerned look on his partner's face.

"How would his _buddy_ know this information?" Carlton asked.

"He bought a house off Ian. I think he works for the same law firm that represents Ian's ex-wife, but I'm not sure."

"Does this person have a name?" Juliet asked nastily.

"O'Hara," Carlton whispered warningly.

"I don't know. I'm not like Ian's confidant, blondie," Rita cattily replied. Juliet made a move toward the woman and Carlton placed a hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Franco," he told her. She closed the door abruptly. The two made it to the car and got in. Carlton started it up.

"Where could they be, Carlton?" Juliet asked.

"Well, most likely, Parker went after Spencer for the location of his kids."

"That makes sense," she agreed.

"What do you know about Parker? How dangerous is this guy?"

He saw her tense. "Ian Parker is an evil man. He was arrested twice for domestic violence against his wife. Helen claims that he started abusing his boys when Jordan turned about five. If the man could do that to his own family, what is he going to do to Shawn to get him to talk?"

Carlton was about to grin, but quickly schooled his expression. Not that he enjoyed the thought of torturing Spencer, well maybe just a little; he could imagine the hard time that the fake psychic would give this monster. The thought of Spencer mentally abusing someone other than him was pretty amusing.

"I think you and I both know that Shawn is not going to give that information up easily. So, what's Parker's next move after that?" Carlton asked.

"Then he might threaten Shawn's family, which is Mr. Spencer," Juliet said.

"Okay, let's head over to Henry's," Lassiter suggested.

"Carlton, I left that message at Henry's house. What if Parker heard it?"

Lassiter thought for a minute.

"Maybe we can catch them there and we don't know that they did hear that message," Carlton told her.

The pair parked in the driveway at the beachside home of Henry Spencer. They both took note of the truck in the driveway belonging to the elder Spencer. Both detectives drew their guns. Juliet tried the front door. "It's locked," she told him.

"Let's go around back," he said.

They peered in the back door. The kitchen was a mess. Chairs were overturned. There was something on the floor. Was that blood? Carlton tested the door. He slid it open slowly. Carlton stepped in and Juliet covered him. Juliet gasped slightly at the blood and bloody towels on the floor. They cleared the house quickly and returned to the kitchen.

"It looks like someone was shot," Lassiter said leaning down in the area with the most blood. He spotted the casing near the wall and held it up. Juliet was examining the broken cabinet. She saw the message on the machine. The number was not blinking, indicating that it was listened to.

"He heard the message, Carlton," she said. He looked up at her holding the cut duct tape in his hand. He stood up.

"Okay, here's what we know. Parker knows Spencer is helping his wife," Carlton said.

"So he grabs Shawn and brings him here, threatens Shawn's Dad. Then he shot one of them," she spoke.

"They're both alive, for now," Carlton said.

Juliet spun to face him. "How do you know that?"

"There's no body here. My guess is that they are on the way to the hotel. He must have taken Henry for insurance. Let's go."

"Are we calling the Chief?" she asked.

Lassiter paused for a moment considering and then nodded his head. "Yeah, get a hold of the chief and see if she can contact Buzz at the hotel."

It was a quick and silent trip back to the hotel, Lassiter slowed down as he pulled the car into the back parking lot. Juliet's phone rang just as she was reaching for the door handle; grabbing the phone instead she noticed the call was coming from the station.

"Detective O'Hara", She said putting the phone up to her ear. She nodded her head a few times listening to the person on the other end, "Thanks Chief," she said a moment later and then flipped her phone shut.

"What's the news?" Carlton asked.

Juliet slowly turned towards Lassiter, "That was the Chief; she said that Buzz isn't answering his radio."

"What about Gus?"

Juliet just shook her head, "She tried that too," she said hesitating slightly.

"And?" Lassiter asked slightly annoyed.

"It went straight to voice mail." There was finality in that statement causing both detectives to stare at each other for a moment before reaching for the door handles to exit the car.

'Keep your eyes out for anything suspicious, O'Hara." Lassiter said crossing in front of her to get to the glass doors first.

Just before they reached the doors they were both stopped at the sound of banging coming from nearby.

Turning around Lassiter nodded his head in the direction of the noise and they both found their way over to a parked car a few spaces down from the door. Looking to make sure the car was empty they heard the noise again coming from the trunk of the car. Lassiter opened the driver's side door, very relieved to find it unlocked and hit the release button for the trunk. Something caught his eye on the passenger seat and floor board. He raised his eyes and saw a bloody hand print on the passenger side door. He'd check it out further after opening the trunk. Slowly both detectives made their way towards the back of the car, weapons drawn and stood at the ready as Juliet lifted the door of the trunk enough to see inside. Both detectives were horrified by what they saw.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 6: What to Do when Dad's in the Trunk?

Notes: Well, here's another chapter of this fun-filled story. Thanks so much to my lightning fast beta Raych. Thanks also to Jenn1984 for all her encouragement for this story.

Shawn could hear the banging coming from the truck. Every bump was like a stab to the heart. It had been ninety degrees outside today, even though the temperature was cooling down with the approach of evening, it had to be unbearable inside that confined space. Shawn moved slightly and bit his lip to stop from crying out in pain. He was sweating just sitting in the car, although, his sweating was probably more from his injury. Something other than sweat was trickling down his arm. He was fairly certain that the quick bandaging job was no longer holding. The jacket smelled just like his father and that, along with being in pain and the fact that his father was roasting to death in the back of this old "classic" car, was making him very angry.

"Parker, if he dies, I'm going to make sure you never see the light of day again," Shawn said. The threat lost some of its menace when Shawn's voice cracked.

Parker looked over at him. "You're in a good place to make threats, Spencer. I think the old man will be fine. The quicker I get my kids, the quicker I'll let him out. I figure somewhere near San Diego should be good."

Shawn fought off the nausea he felt at the complete coldness of the statement. This guy was pure evil, of that he was convinced. Ian Parker was quickly making it appear like Henry Spencer was father of the year, no the century. He needed to find a way to get his dad out of this and stop Parker from ever touching a hair on those kids' heads again. The car pulled up to the hotel. Shawn reached out his hand and laid it on the passenger side door. Maybe his bloody handprint would catch someone's eye and they would stop long enough to hear his father.

When the car came to a stop, Parker turned to Shawn, "Here's the deal. We go straight to the room. No games. I think you're playing a game; I shoot you and whoever else I can take with me in the general vicinity and Dad stays in the trunk until I kill him. Once we get to the room, you are going to get us in there. I swear that if you try to warn anyone in that room, I will kill you and your damn friend. Are we clear?"

"Oh yeah, we're clear. You're one evil prick," Shawn replied angrily. He froze when he felt the barrel of Parker's gun pressing painfully into his cheek. "You need to stop pissing off the dude with the gun," he thought to himself.

"Spencer, I'm getting tired of you," Parker said, grabbing Shawn's jacket and jerking the injury. The motion causing Shawn to moan softly.

"Just let me and my Dad go. Problem solved," Shawn rasped out.

"There's another way to solve this. But you won't like that ending," Parker said coldly, "Now, let's move."

Parker came around the other side of the car as Shawn stood up. The motion made him dizzy. Parker grabbed the injured man's arm and dragged him toward the hotel.

Gus stared out the window of the hotel room. Something was not right; he didn't need to be psychic to know that. The description of the Psych office that Juliet gave him was enough of a clue. But if Parker had Shawn, where were they? Obviously, Parker would try to get the information from Shawn. But when that didn't happen, what would Parker do? Gus wished that Henry would answer his phone. He could use all the help he could get at this point. He was hoping to convince Henry to go looking for Shawn with him, unless, Parker had something to do with Henry not answering the phone too. Gus' pondering was interrupted by Buzz. "Gus, I'll be right back. Helen asked that I run downstairs and get the boys some milk," Buzz told him.

"Just be careful. I don't need to worry about anyone else," Gus said.

"I will. I'll be right back." Buzz left the room.

Buzz entered the small gift shop in the hotel lobby. He bought two small containers of milk and started to head out of the store. He stopped when he spotted Shawn headed toward the elevators and was about to yell out the psychic's name. He wanted to yell at Shawn for scaring the heck out of everyone. "Wait, was Shawn staggering slightly?" He thought to himself. Then Buzz noticed that Shawn wasn't alone. He reached for his cell phone and realized that he left it up in the room with the radio. The young cop had no choice but to follow Shawn and his captor up to the room. "Oh boy, Detective Lassiter not's going to be happy with me," Buzz grimly realized.

Carlton Lassiter looked down in shock. He couldn't believe what he was looking at. Henry Spencer was lying on his side with his hands bound behind him and duct tape covering his mouth. The older man looked very pale and sweaty. Lassiter reached down and helped him sit up. Then with his pocketknife he sliced through the bonds. Juliet removed the gag. Henry was panting, "Parker…..has Shawn….shot him."

"Whoa, Henry relax. Just breathe," Lassiter said trying to keep Henry sitting in the trunk. Henry climbed out and grabbed the side of the car to steady himself.

"Who was shot?" Juliet asked, placing a hand on the elder Spencer's arm as precaution.

"He shot Shawn. Locked me in the trunk as insurance. They're heading upstairs to the room," Henry said quietly. Juliet and Lassiter looked at one another.

"The bloody hand print was Shawn's," Lassiter said aloud and froze as Henry seemed to pale more. Juliet glared at her partner.

"What?" Henry choked out.

"We found a hand print inside the car. It must be from Shawn," Lassiter said.

"He must be bleeding again," Henry said, concern evident in his voice.

"Let's get you inside Mr. Spencer. Carlton can call for back-up and we'll head upstairs," Juliet said gently guiding the worried father toward the hotel. Lassiter pulled out his phone and dialed the Chief's number. The three entered the lobby.

"Chief, yes it's Lassiter. No, Parker's definitely here. He locked Henry Spencer in the trunk of his car. Shawn is his hostage and Henry says he's been shot. We're headed up there now. No, I don't think there's time to wait. Room 325. Okay, we will," Lassiter said as he hung up the phone, "O'Hara, we're heading upstairs. Henry, you wait here. The Chief is on her way with paramedics."

"I'm not waiting here," Henry said. Lassiter was about to continue when a young woman and her son approached them.

"Sir, are you both police officers?" She asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Is there a problem?" Juliet answered.

"Two men just got off the elevator on the third floor. One looked very ill and the other was practically holding him up. I thought maybe they were just drunk. But there were drops of blood on the elevator floor," the young woman said.

"Shawn," Henry whispered.

"Thank you. Miss," Lassiter said and ran off toward the steps with Juliet and Henry following behind. They arrived at the third floor and stopped.

"Henry, you stay behind us. I mean it. I won't have any other civilians shot today," Lassiter commanded and Henry nodded.

Then they heard a gunshot ring out from the direction of the suite. The three ran toward the noise.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 7: The End of a Long Day

Notes: This chapter takes you back a step to follow Shawn and Parker.

Shawn felt himself being pulled roughly onto the elevator. His grip on reality was fading with his strength. Why did no one notice a staggering man being practically dragged through the lobby? People were so oblivious. Shawn leaned heavily against the elevator wall. He wasn't sure he could make the walk to the room. Once they got there, Gus would know the second he heard his best friend's voice that something was wrong, which was good. "What floor?" Parker asked. Shawn looked at him.

"Third," he answered. The temptation to jump the maniac was strong, but he wanted to save what little strength he had for a better opportunity to attack. Parker pressed the number three button and waited, looking from Shawn to the door. Shawn kept his eyes toward the floor, trying to discover some magic way to disarm this guy while he had only one uninjured arm.

"So, how do you think your dad's making out in my trunk?" Parker asked, smiling when he noticed Shawn's enraged expression.

"Shut up," Shawn snarled as the doors opened and a woman and her son stood on the other side. She cautiously looked at the two men.

"Come on, Shawn," Parker said, grasping the younger man's arm and gently ushering him out of the elevator. Looking at the woman, Parker told her, "He hasn't been feeling real well today."

"Yeah, must be the company," Shawn said and Parker pushed his hidden weapon into Shawn's side. They moved past the two strangers into the hallway.

"What room?" Parker asked as the elevator doors closed. Shawn hesitated. "Spencer, now."

"325," he finally said. The room was on the end of the hallway. Parker pushed Shawn toward the door.

"Knock. Tell them to let you in," Parker whispered, staying off to the side to be away from the peephole.

Shawn knocked on the door with three sharp raps, "Burton, it's me. Shawn. Can you let me in?"

Gus heard the three quick knocks and he knew. That was their secret knock when they were kids, then he heard Shawn call him Burton. Shawn's voice sounded funny too, tired almost weak. "Oh crap," Gus whispered, "this can't be good."

"Helen, you and boys get into the bedroom," Gus ordered quietly, "and stay there." Helen nodded and steered her sons into the suite's far bedroom, but instead of going in herself, she stood outside the door. Gus shook his head at her and pointed for her to go in as he had his hand on the doorknob of the main door. She mouthed no. He sighed and opened the door.

Suddenly Shawn was thrust into the room and landed on his knees a few feet from the entrance and Ian Parker walked in and slammed the door closed. Gus looked at his friend. Shawn's face was the picture of misery and disappointment. In order for Shawn to bring Parker here, Gus knew Parker threatened Shawn somehow. There was no other explanation. Well, not Shawn, he threatened someone Shawn cared about, and as much as his friend would deny it, that was probably Henry. Then Gus noticed the blood dripping slowly from Shawn's one hand.

"Shawn, are you okay?" Gus asked as he made a move to go toward his friend.

"You stay right where you are," Parker growled, "No, actually move toward the kitchen and stay." Gus moved slowly away from the door and passed Shawn. Shawn nodded slightly at his friend. "You too, Spencer. Go sit in the kitchen." Shawn unsuccessfully tried to get up.

Helen finally seemed to get over the shock of seeing the man she despised. Then she turned toward Shawn, anger apparent on her face. "You bastard. How could you bring him right here? You promised to protect us. Why didn't you see this coming? Some psychic you are," she yelled at him.

Shawn swallowed hard and felt the sting of tears. He opened his mouth to say something from his position kneeling on the floor. "Now Helen, be nice. I shot the poor young man and locked his dad in the trunk of my car. It's not like I gave him much choice," Parker said excitedly as he walked closer to her. Gus looked toward Shawn with concern. "You go help Spencer get up," he ordered Gus, then turned to watch his wife.

Gus wrapped an arm around Shawn's back and helped him to stand. "You don't look so good, Shawn." Shawn just nodded, which did not help Gus' nerves any.

"Now, sit him down in a chair," Parker said. Gus helped Shawn sit on one side of the table. Shawn gripped the edge of the table with one hand, hoping to stay upright. Parker seemed satisfied with where they were.

"Helen, what did you hope to accomplish by hiding from me? You know that there is nowhere you'll be safe from me." He took a step toward her. Gus stood up.

"Listen, Mr. Parker. You're violating the restraining order even being here. If you leave now, maybe you can avoid any charges," Gus said, hoping to stall Parker until Buzz got back. He heard Shawn's soft, "Gus, no" and silenced his friend with a shake of his hand.

"Guster, you have no idea what you are talking about," Parker started to say. They all froze when they heard the click of the electronic lock disengaging. "Who the hell is that?" he whispered.

Shawn looked at Gus confused. "Buzz," Gus mouthed and Shawn nodded as Parker stood aimed at the door. Shawn knew that this might be his only chance to get a jump on their captor. Buzz eased the door open. Shawn slowly moved to the edge of his seat. Parker aimed his gun at the opening door.

All at once, Shawn yelled, "Buzz, down" and jumped on Parker's back. Buzz hit the floor and Shawn grabbed the arm with the gun and jerked the shot as the gun fired. Gus was around the table and on Parker's other side as he shrugged Shawn off. Shawn fell to the floor and Parker raised his gun toward Gus. Buzz got to his knees, "Freeze, Parker." Parker seemed to be debating his options when they heard Helen gasp. She tumbled to the carpet. Buzz used the opportunity to subdue Parker. After a brief struggle, Buzz had the thug on the floor with his hands behind his back.

"Gus, go check on Helen," Shawn whispered as he tried to keep his tired eyes open. Lassiter and Juliet appeared at the doorway.

"Freeze, nobody move," Lassiter bellowed. McNab turned to him after cuffing Parker.

"Situation is under control, sir," Buzz said.

"Good work, McNab," Lassiter said holstering his gun. Juliet and Henry ran over to check on Shawn.

"Jules, help Gus with Mrs. Parker," Shawn said softly. Juliet got up reluctantly and joined Gus on the other side of the room.

"Hey, are you okay?" Henry asked Shawn as he pulled back the jacket to examine the wound.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy. Glad you're okay," the younger Spencer said as he closed his eyes. Henry smiled at his son's concern.

Gus made his way back over to the Spencers as the paramedics arrived with what appeared to be half the Santa Barbara Police Department. Henry nodded at Gus.

"Is he okay?" Gus asked as the paramedics started to examine Shawn.

Henry was about to answer, when Shawn opened his eyes and said, "One little gunshot wound and suddenly everyone's worried about me," he then seriously asked, "Are Helen and the boys okay?"

"Yes, she just fainted. The bullet hit in the wall by the door. Juliet is with her and the boys," Gus answered. Shawn nodded and closed his eyes.

The following evening, Shawn sat alone in his hospital room. Gus went to get something to eat and his dad went home to get some rest. The previous day, Shawn had surgery to remove the bullet and was resting comfortable. Painkillers could be your friends, surprisingly so when you were really in pain. Shawn was actually happy to be alone at the moment. He had a lot to think about. The words that Helen Parker yelled at him would not leave his mind. He thought about what Gus had said when they first opened Psych, "Hope we don't make a mistake and someone dies because of it." Okay, so no one died, but he put five lives at risk; Helen, her sons, Gus, and his father. That was inexcusable in his book. Sure, he and Gus had gotten in over their heads a few times, but Shawn knew for the most part that rescue was close at hand, if you forgot about the bounty hunter thing, that biker bar, oh and that time in Mexico. This time Shawn had been absolutely certain that he was going to die and maybe his Dad and Gus too, plus a single mom and her two innocent kids. What the hell was he thinking, going right to the place where Parker could find him?

Outside the room door, Gus pondered his friend's gloomy mood since the Parker incident. Gus knew that Shawn didn't shrug everything off, most things, but not everything. Things that Henry did bothered Shawn, unsolved cases bothered Shawn, and screwing up bothered Shawn. Most people would argue that Shawn had made mistake after mistake most of his "adult" life, but Shawn himself had said that he learned what he could from those job experiences and moved on. Gus knew that Shawn considered what happened with Parker an actual, honest to goodness mistake and it was eating at him. Helen Parker's words just emphasized the mistake. He hoped that Henry wouldn't make it worse, but so far Shawn's dad had been quiet about the whole incident, and it left Gus wondering if Henry was dealing with his own guilt for some reason. Gus tried to convince Shawn that Parker was the only one at fault and Shawn tried to redirect the discussion onto another topic. Ah, typical Shawn tactic, avoidance.

Gus was in his own little world when Juliet approached. She touched his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"Hi Gus," she said, "Why are you out here?"

"He's upset. I think he needed some time to think."

"He's not blaming himself for what happened? If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I never should have asked you guys to help. I knew it was too dangerous," she said as she sat next to him.

"I'll tell you what I told him, Ian Parker is the only person at fault here. We wanted to help you, Helen and the boys. Parker was just more determined than we realized. Plus, I made Shawn go back to the office. If he would have stayed at the hotel, Parker would not have found us," Gus said with a sigh.

"You should listen to your own advice," she said. He noticed the colorful piece of paper in her hand.

"What's that?" Gus asked.

"A get well card for Shawn from Jordan and Wyatt," she said moving it, so he could see it, "It has a pineapple and some sponge guy on it."

"Juliet O'Hara, you don't know who Spongebob Squarepants is?" Gus teasingly asked.

"You do?" she said astonished.

"I'm Shawn's best friend," he countered.

"Enough said," she said with a chuckle, "Wish me luck. I'm going in."

"Good luck and thanks." She smiled at him and entered the room.

Back inside the hospital room, melancholy thoughts occupied Shawn's brain as he was flipping through the channels, when the room door opened. He grinned slightly as Juliet entered. "Well, you look a lot better than the last time I saw you," she said.

"Thanks, I think. How are you, Jules?"

"I'm good. Give me a hug," she said reaching over gently to hug him.

"What was that for?" He asked confused.

"For all your help, silly."

"Yeah, I was a big help. Bringing the bad guy right to his intended targets. I'm like the hero of the year," he said sarcastically.

"Shawn, you kept him occupied long enough for Gus to suspect something was wrong and the Parkers are fine," she told him.

"Jules, I almost got my father killed and Helen Parker about ripped my heart out in the middle of that room…" he looked up quickly at her, realizing his slip.

She met his eyes with a look of concern. "She told me what she said."

"And she was right."

"That man was a vicious, nasty monster. He was determined. If it wasn't you, he would have found another way to get to them and maybe when we wouldn't have been there to help them. Shawn, stop blaming yourself. Helen was wrong to say what she did."

"Did she tell you that?" he asked.

"No, but she let the boys make you this," she said handing him the card. He looked at the front of it and smiled.

Opening it up, he read the message, "Dear Shawn, We hope you are feeling better. Sorry you got hurt. Don't forget to watch Spongebob. Your friends, Jordan and Wyatt." Shawn grinned.

"That's really cool that they did this," he said, "Where are they now?"

"I can't tell you, but they're in protective custody and a judge signed over full custody to Helen. Parker was arraigned this morning, no bail."

"Good. Thanks for bringing this and for coming, Jules," he said sincerely.

"You're welcome. Now the next time I see you, I expect flirtatious comments and constant joking. I don't like quiet Shawn."

"Oh, I've got plenty of time to dream up some comments," and his mischievous grin said it all.

"Bye, Shawn," she said.

"Hey, Jules," he called after her.

Turning around, she said, "Yes."

"You can send Gus back in here on your way out."

She was about to ask how he knew Gus was sitting outside, but shook her head and exited.

"He's asking for you," she told Gus on the way out. Gus stood.

"Thanks for everything," he said and hugged her.

"You're welcome," she said and walked down the hall.

THE END!!!


End file.
